YMCA Impact Summer 2015 Issue by YMCA of Middle Tennessee

OPENING DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY Also inside this issue:

PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE READY, SET, RACE! WELLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE LIFE-SAVING LESSONS IN WATER SAFETY

SUMMER 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IN FOCUS 03 A Foot in the Door

Changing lives through the Y begins with the simple gift of access to our centers and programs. Learn more about how the Y relieves the financial burden—and opens the door of opportunity—for tens of thousands in our community through the Open Doors program.

FEATURES 06 Off and Running

Each year, thousands of runners lace up their sneakers for the YMCA Race Series, supporting the Y’s pursuit of healthy living in more ways than one. Discover how running the race has helped two women set a new course in their personal journeys to better health.

08 Getting Real-Time

Adapting to the evolving needs of our community takes agility and quick decision-making—all grounded in a thoughtful long-term plan for the organization’s future. Read more about a new strategic planning process that’s helping the Y better respond to rapid change in the neighborhoods we serve.

DISPATCHES 10 Passing the Test

This summer, the Y is taking extra steps to ensure the safety of our day campers in the swimming pool—a new initiative that will teach live-saving skills to thousands of kids across Middle Tennessee.

11 Workplace Wellness

As an organization, the Y strives to embody healthy living—and that means setting an example among our own staff. Learn about the many benefits of a workplace wellness program that has us getting up from our desks and getting healthier together.

12 You Make More Possible

The YMCA of Middle Tennessee has the power and the passion to impact so many in our community—but not without your help. Discover all the ways your contribution to the Y’s Annual Giving Campaign can make a difference in the lives of our youth, families and neighbors in need.

Dear Y Family, It’s hard to believe that I’ve been back in Middle Tennessee for more than a year now, but it’s been a great year of reacquainting with each of the communities we serve, and with our Y family. We already mean so much to so many in our community, but we also have so much potential to make an even greater and lasting impact in the years ahead. I’m extremely excited about how our current Real-Time Strategic Planning (RTSP) process, detailed on pages 8-9 of this issue of Impact, can do just that. Launched this past fall, the goal of RTSP is to develop a short list of three to four priorities that will resonate with our volunteers, staff, members, participants, donors and the overall community.

Dan Dummermuth YMCA of Middle Tennessee

Just as important, RTSP will give us a set of tools and processes to continuously assess our strategies and, should the need arise, to shift them as our circumstances change. The world we live in is constantly evolving, and our organization must to be positioned to better respond to those changes. I hope you enjoy this issue of Impact, and thank you once again for your continued support of our YMCA and the individuals and families we serve. Blessings,

Dan Dummermuth President and CEO

YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

President and CEO

After losing her job, Zina Bauman began to lose hope. What she didn’t lose was the help of her local Y when she needed it most. Thanks to Open Doors, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s charitable assistance program, Zina and her mother, Celine Rueff, received enough financial support to allow them to continue as members of the Bellevue Family YMCA. For Zina in particular, it proved to be a priceless gift of health and healing. While continuing to battle loneliness and depression, Zina last year made the small decision to attend a group exercise dance class one Saturday morning—and instantly felt that a weight had been lifted. “I just loved it. Something came back that I had lost, with the music and the dancing and being around a bunch of people,” Zina says. “I’ve been coming a couple of times a week ever since.” Zina says thanks to the positive strides she’s made in her physical health and the support and kindness she’s experienced at the Y, she’s begun to heal from a challenging season in her life. And she’s happy her mother has found a home at the Y, too.

IN FOCUS

A FOOT IN THE DOOR

The YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s 140-year tradition of helping our neighbors plays out in our centers every day through the Y’s Open Doors charitable assistance program.

What’s in a name? In the past, you may have heard us refer to our financial assistance program by another name: IBRS, or Income-Based Rate Scale. To be clear, the way we’re providing financial assistance— through a careful, datadriven consideration of member income and circumstances—is the same as before, but we are changing the way we talk about financial assistance, both internally and externally. It’s our hope that the new name, Open Doors, will more clearly communicate to our donors, volunteers and staff the program’s charitable intent, purpose and the critical role it plays in opening the doors of opportunity to our neighbors in need.

“We both fit in here. And we’re both so appreciative of the opportunity. This is a very special place,” she adds. “If it hadn’t been for the financial help, I don’t know what I would have done.” (continued on page 4)

SUMMER 2015

IN FOCUS

A FOOT IN THE DOOR

OPENING DOORS, CHANGING LIVES

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

Zina and Celine are among more than 90,000 people from across Middle Tennessee who benefited from Open Doors in 2014. All told, the program provided in excess of $8.8 million in assistance so deserving families could become members, afford after-school care for their children or participate in one of the Y’s other life-changing programs.

Creating that inclusive environment—one that truly reflects the diversity of the neighborhoods we serve—requires understanding the broad spectrum of circumstances our members face. For some struggling families, the lingering effects of the recession have meant having to choose between keeping a Y membership—a valuable but discretionary expense— and putting food on the table. But for other individuals, it’s the temporary setbacks in life that make it tough to pay in full.

Open Doors is by far the YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s largest charitable endeavor. But beyond the numbers, the program’s purpose has long lay at the heart of the Y’s nonprofit mission. The practice of helping neighbors in need is as old as our 140-year organization and the Christian principles upon which our “worldwide charitable fellowship” was founded. “There was no ‘pay to play’ with Jesus. He associated with every class, every socioeconomic group. And his access was unlimited,” explains YMCA of Middle Tennessee chief financial officer Rob Ivy. “That’s what we want to model at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee.”

“We have people who are chronically economically disadvantaged. But we also have people in transition between jobs. People who have medical hardships,” Ivy says. “And the Y does a really good job of discerning the needs of these people and helping them have that access for a season or for an extended period of time.” The Y grants financial assistance to individuals like Zina and Celine on a sliding scale, taking into account household size and income, as well as special circumstances such as a job loss. For potential and current members, applying is as simple as meeting discreetly with a Y staff member and turning in the required forms. And while nearly 90% of assistance provided by Open Doors is for memberships, the program last year also furnished an additional $1 million in program-related financial assistance, the vast majority of which went to giving children in our Fun Co. child care program better access to a safe place to go before or after school (see chart, page 5).

Member Zina Bauman poses with Dawn Peck, one of her favorite group fitness instructors at the Bellevue Family YMCA.

YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

It’s support that would not be possible without the generosity of the individuals and businesses who donate to the YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s Annual Giving Campaign (see story, page 12). Without such donations, the Y could simply not provide this level of assistance to so many who need it.

In 2015, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s Open Doors program expects to provide at least $9 million in financial assistance to deserving individuals and families— but we can’t complete this vital mission without the support of donors to our Annual Giving Campaign. Please consider opening the door of opportunity to someone in your community by making an online gift at give.ymcamidtn.org.

Consider Zina Bauman and her mom, Celine, among the grateful. Like Zina, Celine has found her place at the Y through group exercise classes specifically tailored to seniors. Her visits to the Y are now the bright spot in her week. “I’m always eager to come here,” Rueff says. “Because it gives me a reason for moving out of the house, and doing something useful, and meeting people that I love.” Supporting our neighbors in this tangible way—by giving them a foot in the door—is the first step to fulfilling the Y’s larger goal of fostering genuine relationships among people of all interests, ages, abilities and walks of life. “It’s the true makeup of your community,” CEO Dan Dummermuth says of the Y. “You can walk into any of our facilities and you may have someone in an exercise class who’s worth millions of dollars next to someone who’s getting full scholarship. They don’t know the difference, nor will they ever. And that’s something that you just don’t see anywhere else.”

IN FOCUS

You Make More Possible

A FOOT IN THE DOOR

WHERE COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER

1 IN 4 PEOPLE AT THE Y

RECEIVE THE GIFT OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERSHIP.

Widjiwagan 2% Camp $222,329 for 1% Center Civic Engagement $65,448

2% Other Fee-Based Center Programs $200,427

7% School Age

Services (Fun Co.) $667,340

88%

Membership Financial Assistance $8,054,277 SUMMER 2015

FEATURE

OFF AND RUNNING

OFF AND RUNNING THE START OF THE 2015 YMCA RACE SERIES SIGNALS A SEASON OF GETTING FIT—AND GIVING BACK—AT THE SAME TIME.

Photo by: Amber Vongsamphanh

Christy Traughber (bib #193) poses with members of her “Couch to 5K” training group after completing the YMCA Race Series Farm Bureau Holiday 5k.

Last year, Christy Traughber took a series of steps that changed her life. The first one: giving up a 20-year smoking habit. The second: joining the Robertson County Family YMCA’s Couch to 5K training program along with her husband in preparation for the YMCA Race Series Farm Bureau Holiday 5K. “I went into the program with the idea that I wasn’t competing with anyone but myself,” she says. “I knew there would be others with more endurance and capability, but I decided to participate for me.”

After weeks of training with an encouraging group of coaches and peers, Christy—who hadn’t run since high school—proudly finished her first-ever 5K. And with inspiration and motivation to burn, she signed up to run five more. Now, Christy has taken her journey to better health several steps further. She and her husband are enrolled in a boot camp class and are eating healthier. She’s dropped 30 pounds and two pants sizes. And aside from returning to the Holiday 5K, she’s set another running goal for 2015: to complete her first 10K.

YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

“I feel great,” she says, “and I’m thankful to all who were involved in the Couch to 5K program. I would never have done any of this without participating.”

RUNNING WITH PURPOSE Every year, thousands of runners—each with their own stories of transformation—take off from the starting line of the eight races that will comprise the 2015 YMCA Race Series. Stretching across six counties in Middle Tennessee, the series encourages our communities to get together and get moving, all while supporting the YMCA’s nonprofit mission. Every dollar raised from the series makes it possible for the Y to continue investing in our youth, our health and our fellow neighbors. In 2014, 4,448 runners contributed a total of more than $129,000 to that cause. Race participation increased by nearly 7% from 2013, and the Margaret Maddox Family YMCA’s Tomato 5K had its largest showing ever, with more than 1,700 runners.

That was before she joined the “Potato to Tomato” 5K training group. With the support of a new group with friends, Yolanda found the strength to “stick with it”—completing the race without stopping. Finishing that 5K was just the first mile marker for Yolanda. Thanks in part to frequent exercise at the Margaret Maddox Family YMCA, she’s shed those 200 pounds in the past 2 years. Now, Yolanda is on track to become a group exercise instructor, with her own mission in mind: “I want to help others take the first step in their weight loss journey,” she says.

JOIN THE CAUSE Christy and Yolanda know well that their personal journeys to better health don’t end after race season is over—and neither does the far-reaching and important work of the YMCA. Sign up for a race and support the Y’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the communities we serve.

THE GAUNTLET *NEW* MAY 30 - CLARKSVILLE AREA YMCA

FEATURE

2015 YMCA RACE SERIES

OFF AND RUNNING

One of them was longtime Y member Yolanda Osborne, a participant in the Tomato 5K since 2011. Yolanda, who was 200 pounds heavier at the time of her first race, admits she was no runner—and wasn’t sure she wanted to be. “When I first started, I didn’t like it,” she laughs.

Y TRI AT OLD HICKORY LAKE *NEW* JUNE 20 - SUMNER COUNTY FAMILY YMCA ANDREWS CADILLAC FIRECRACKER 5K/10K JULY 4 - MARYLAND FARMS YMCA EAST NASHVILLE TOMATO 5K AUGUST 8 - MARGARET MADDOX FAMILY YMCA LAMBERT DILLARD MEMORIAL 5K OCTOBER 17 - NORTH RUTHERFORD YMCA TOYOTA OF COOL SPRINGS HARVEST HALF OCTOBER 31 - BRENTWOOD FAMILY YMCA FARM BUREAU HOLIDAY RUN 5K/10K NOVEMBER 21 - ROBERTSON COUNTY FAMILY YMCA

FROSTBITE 5K/10K JANUARY 1 - SUMNER COUNTY FAMILY YMCA

BY THE NUMBERS 2014’s YMCA Race Series saw a notable jump in participation from the year before—translating to even more support for the Y’s cause of strengthening families and communities.

4,448 Runners 7% Increase in attendance $129,333

in charitable support raised Online registration for the 2015 YMCA Race Series is now open. Visit give.ymcamidtn.org/races to get in the running. SUMMER 2015

FEATURE

GETTING REAL-TIME

An innovative strategic planning process is designed to position the YMCA of Middle Tennessee for success both now and into the future. In a world marked by rapid change, it’s never been more important for the Y to develop strategies that can both position the organization for long-term success and respond effectively when unexpected opportunities—and challenges— inevitably arise. That’s the goal of the “Real-time Strategic Planning,” or RTSP, process currently being led by YMCA of Middle Tennessee president and CEO Dan Dummermuth and a dedicated committee of Y volunteers and staff. Launched this past fall, the goal of the RTSP process is to develop a short list of strategic priorities to guide and focus the YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s nonprofit efforts to strengthen community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. “The goal is to provide our Y with three to four strategic priorities that will resonate with our volunteers, staff, members, participants, donors and the overall community,” Dummermuth explains. “Ultimately, this process will help our organization better focus its work and position us for success.” By implementing RTSP, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee joins a growing list of Y associations adopting the method. Dummermuth himself facilitated an RTSP process in his previous position as CEO of the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region in Colorado Springs, Colo. In addition, the YMCA of the USA has used the process to develop its own strategic plans and is facilitating Middle Tennessee’s efforts as it seeks to encourage adoption of RTSP across the Y movement.

YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

“It’s a fabulous tool that will allow our Y to better understand our relevance to the communities we are so honored to serve and how we can best address the critical needs of those communities,” Dummermuth says.

STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE REAL WORLD Developed by David La Piana, a noted nonprofit consultant and author, RTSP is an answer to the shortcomings of the strategic planning approaches organizations have traditionally adhered to—with little success. One study shows that as many as 60-80% of organizations are dissatisfied with their “vision plans” and other traditional forms of strategic plans for reasons including: • The plan’s lack of focus or accountability • A failure to incorporate processes to effectively implement the new strategies • The absence of ongoing processes to properly assess the key opportunities and challenges that the organization’s future viability depends upon Enter RTSP, which seeks to help non-profits avoid these missteps by taking them through a series of what Dummermuth describes as “deep dives” to areas critical to an organization’s future success. For the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, these have included, but are not limited to: • An assessment of the Y’s financial model • The organization’s competitive position • A deep examination of both internal and external trends—from our current culture to health and demographic trends in our community—that are already having or could have a significant impact on our Y’s future

JAN. 2015 First planning and committee meetings

Strategic analysis by Planning Committee; drafting of new goals and strategies begins

Staff and stakeholder input sessions

NOV. 2014

MARCH -MAY 2015

Strategic plan drafted and revised

FEB. 2015

FALL 2015 Association Board approves final strategic plan

JUNE 2015

Staff implementation sessions begin

YMCA of Middle Tennessee president and CEO Dan Dummermuth shares updates on the Y’s real time strategic planning process during an Association board meeting.

“The YMCA of Middle Tennessee means so much to so many,” Dummermuth says. “People of all ages, interests and abilities engage with us through a wide variety of programs and services. “We also need to understand that our YMCA cannot be everything to everybody,” he adds. “Once our strategic priorities are identified, we will then organize our staff to position us all for success in implementing the appropriate strategies. We must also install a sustainable financial model that allows us to deliver on our strategic priorities using revenue from membership, fee-based programs, donations, grants and shared resources.”

ON ONGOING PROCESS

MEET THE COMMITTEE

In addition, the RTSP process will also help our Y develop new tools and processes to continuously assess and be aware of how its strategies are working and—just as important—know when it’s time to change course.

The YMCA of Middle Tennessee is grateful for the time and efforts of the volunteers serving on our Real-time Strategic Planning Committee:

“As we define the desired impact of our Y and get a clear understanding of our unique strategic advantages, the real-time process will allow our strategies to shift or change as our environment changes while maintaining alignment with our organizational values,” Dummermuth explains. From start to finish, the RTSP process will take approximately seven months to complete, with approval of the final product set to take this summer (see timeline, above). In addition to the dedicated work of the RTSP Committee (see members, sidebar), the planning process includes participation and input from a broad spectrum of staff, volunteers and members of the Middle Tennessee community.

FEATURE

GETTING REAL-TIME

Real-time Strategic Planning Timeline

Liz Allbritton David Bohan Trudy Carpenter Jonathan Cole Jack Elisar Jimmy Granbery Harriet Karro

Once the process is complete, the exciting work of implementing the new plan—in real time—will begin.

Bill Lee

“The world we live in is very different than it was even 10 years ago,” Dummermuth explains. “It’s constantly evolving, and we need to be able to keep pace and respond to the changing needs of our organization. Real-time strategic planning guides us in making smart strategic choices and then allows us to take action in real time.”

Jimmy Webb

Tony Wall David Wilds David Wilson Bill Wilson SUMMER 2015

DISPATCHES

PASSING THE TEST

A new YMCA initiative is making pool time more productive for thousands of day camp children this summer.

Each sweltering Middle Tennessee summer, close to 2,000 kids ages 5-12 enjoy free swim time during YMCA Day Camp. For many kids, it’s their favorite part of the day—a chance to cool off and play with their friends, all while under the careful supervision of Y-certified lifeguards. At the start of camp, children undergo a swim test (required of all youth under 14) to assess their skills—and those who don’t pass are outfitted with life jackets to keep them safe. But for all that time spent in the pool—upwards of 80 hours for those who attend Day Camp all summer—some children still go the entire season without learning the basic skills they need to take those life jackets off. “When we were looking at how we serve the kids who participate in our Day Camp program, we realized we’re not really defining what they’re doing in the pool,” says Association aquatics director Erik Houston. “We had kids coming in who couldn’t pass the swim test in the first week and would go through 10 weeks of free swim time and never have the opportunity to learn anything.”

HELPING EVERY CHILD SWIM Given our reputation as a leader in swim instruction—and our organization’s belief that every child should have the chance to learn this life-saving skill—the Y decided to put its expertise to the best use by offering free water safety instruction to every day camper who needs it. Of the four days a week campers enjoy free swim time, children who haven’t passed the swim test

YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

will spend 45 minutes a day working closely with Y-certified instructors on learning how to float, how to breathe properly and how to perform a basic safety stroke, among other essential skills. They’ll receive that instruction until they’re able to pass the test or until camp is over. For the Y, it’s a simple but critical investment in the safety and success of our communities’ youth. Drowning remains the second leading cause of death in Tennessee, making early aquatic safety education an especially serious matter. But aside from preventing future accidents, the new initiative also reflects the greater mission of YMCA Day Camp: to provide an environment in which kids can make new friends, achieve new skills, and feel like they truly belong. That’s because learning the basics of swimming is more than a developmental rite of passage—it’s a big confidence and character builder, too. “For a lot of those kids who can’t pass the swim test, it’s the first real challenge that they’re having to overcome, the first real fear of the water that they’re having to overcome in their lives,” Houston says. “If we can be a part of helping kids build that confidence and overcome those fears early in life, then we’re living out our mission. We’re creating Y kids for the future.”

Day Camp season kicked off on May 26, and registration is still open. To sign up your child for a summer of activity, enriching experiences, and fun in the water, visit ymcamidtn.org/summer-camps.

The YMCA’s mission to promote healthier living doesn’t begin and end with our members. Learn about the ways the Y is encouraging its own staff to develop healthier habits every day. Sustaining a healthy lifestyle starts with a series of small choices. Choosing a piece of fruit instead of a donut for breakfast. Using the stairs instead of the elevator. Taking a free hour in the day to work out instead of watching TV. Healthy living is a choice but also an enormous challenge, especially in our region. In 2014, the state of Tennessee fell from 42nd to 45th in America’s overall health rankings. Despite the prevalence of quality health care providers in the area, our Middle Tennessee communities continue to struggle with obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. And even within the walls of the Y—a place that aims to embody active living—the health obstacles our own staff members face are no different. That’s why this year, we’re joining Gov. Bill Haslam’s Healthier Tennessee initiative with the goal of becoming a Healthier Tennessee Workplace.

“Before I probably would have gone home and laid on the couch or sat while my kids took a bath,” says Jackson, who averages 9,000 steps a day. “I’ve found ways to incorporate just walking or jogging in place when I’m taking care of my kids or making dinner.

DISPATCHES

WELLNESS

WORKPLACE WELLNESS

WORKPLACE

The friendly competition amongst coworkers is one thing motivating Tracey Jackson—the Y’s marketing director and a busy mom of two—to meet her daily step goal however she can.

“It’s helping me fit in small steps to get some physical activity and even get my heart pumping,” she says. “All of the sudden, there’s been this new energy,” says Ted Cornelius, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s vice president of health innovation. “I see more and more people doing walking meetings. People are parking further away so they get more steps. People have told me they’re walking at home more.”

LIVING OUT OUR MISSION Aside from improving staff health—and practicing what we preach—the program has a direct impact on the resources we can devote to serving others; as a self-insured entity, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee pays out employees’ medical claims. So a healthier staff can also mean the Y will have additional resources to invest in a healthier community for everyone.

The program certifies workplaces with wellness programs that encourage physical activity, offer healthy food options, provide a tobacco-free environment, promote regular health screenings and, perhaps most importantly—reward employees for their participation and progress.

“The less we need medical care, the less money our Y spends and the more we have available to do our mission work,” Oldham says.

“We already know, since it’s part of what we do in our centers, that it’s hard for many of us to lead a healthier life without some kind of encouragement or incentive,” says YMCA of Middle Tennessee chief administrative officer Peter Oldham. “This is where our Employee Wellness program comes in.”

“It affects our productivity. It affects our absenteeism. It affects our presenteeism,” says Cornelius. “All of those things not only contribute to our overall health, but also our ability to serve in our best way.”

Not only that—maintaining healthier habits will give staff the energy and focus to fulfill the Y’s cause.

HEALTHY STEPS In February, the Y’s Health Innovation team launched that association-wide worksite wellness program with the first-ever Fitness Friday—a monthly initiative that finds staff spending much of the day in workout clothes—and their lunch breaks either walking downtown as a group or taking part in another physical activity. Since then, Y leadership has educated and encouraged staff through weekly healthy message emails, nutrition-focused lunchand-learn sessions, and consultations with centers on developing their own wellness plans. Several employees are also monitoring their health with FitBit, an activity-tracking wristband that counts users’ daily steps and engages them in personal and group fitness challenges. SUMMER 2015

2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS William B. Lee, Chair James W. Granbery, Chair-elect David Wilds, Treasurer DeCosta Jenkins, Asst. Treasurer Liz Allbritton

Walter Knestrick

Carter Andrews

Ronald F. Knox, Jr.

H. Lee Barfield II

Randy Laszewski

Leilani Boulware

Walker Mathews

Stewart Bronaugh, Jr.

Pat McGuigan

Wood Caldwell

Rob McNeilly

Trudy Carpenter

Clayton McWhorter

George H. Cate

John Ed Miller

Ramon Cisneros

Doyle Rippee

Jonathan Cole

Joseph Saoud

Florence Davis

Glenn Sheriff

Bill DeLoache

Barbara Sutton

Marty Dickens

Brett Sweet

Frank Drowota

Carter Todd

Jack Elisar

William E. Turner, Jr.

Rich Ford

Louis Upkins

Sandra Fulton

William B. Wadlington, MD

Homer B. Gibbs, Jr.

James A. Webb III

John Gromos

Olin West III

Roupen M. Gulbenk

David Wilson

Bill Henderson

William M. Wilson

Sen. Douglas Henry Chris Holmes Bill Hudson

CENTER CHAIRS Bob Stokes, Bellevue Kevin Ault, Brentwood Colin Barrett, Center for Civic Engagement Danielle Hampton, Christ Church Christy Batts, Clarksville Dan Ellis, Donelson-Hermitage David Edwards, Downtown Tony Wall, Franklin Roy Jordan, Green Hills Harriet Karro, Joe C. Davis Ed Zavala, Latino Achievers Neal Doherty, Margaret Maddox Deb Enright, Maryland Farms Amanda Allen-Kinzer, North Rutherford Karen Anderson, Northwest

YOU MAKE

MORE POSSIBLE

At the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, we’re devoted to nurturing the potential of kids, improving individual health and well-being, and supporting our neighbors. The principles of our nonprofit mission inform everything we do, and we live them out every day—in the thousands of children we mentor in our after-school programs and camps, in the expertise and encouragement we offer health-seeking adults, in the safe and uplifting environment we provide at our centers. We’re more than a place; we’re a cause—the cause of making our community stronger. Our commitment to that cause is reflected in the kindness and dedication of our staff and the inspirational stories of the individuals and families we serve. And our strong presence and many partners in Middle Tennessee make us uniquely positioned to deliver widespread, lasting change. And you can be a part of it. By participating in the YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s Annual Giving Campaign, you’ll join the thousands of generous donors whose gifts make it possible for the Y to sustain that important work. “When you invest in the YMCA, you’re investing in a healthier community,” says YMCA of Middle Tennessee CEO Dan Dummermuth. “You’re making the lives of our youth and families and seniors that much better.”

Mike Norton, Robertson County Thomas Parkerson, Rutherford County Terry Akin, Sumner County Monte Turner, Jr., Y-CAP

WHEN YOU GIVE …

• You give kids a safe, nurturing place to play and learn. • You give parents time to focus on their own health. • You give families a place to be active and spend more time together. • You give teens opportunities to discover their potential. • You give adults a chance to make friends and pursue their interests. • You give individuals from all walks of life access to a supportive, strong community. Give your neighbors the gift of more health, more hope, and more opportunity by participating in the Y’s Annual Giving Campaign. Visit give.ymcamidtn.org to make a secure online contribution.